Board changes name to Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker Schools

TRACI ANDERSON

Published 8:00 pm, Monday, August 11, 2003

At Monday's school board meeting, board Vice Chairman Neal Eichler presented a chart of results from a telephone survey taken in June by high school students. The survey was an important tool used by the ad hoc committee formed to examine the issue of whether or not to have the district name be kept as Laker Schools or to return to having the three towns represented in the district name as originally decided after the consolidation in 1960.

According to the chart, 1,216 of the people contacted in the survey wanted the district to be named Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port, 952 wanted the district to be named Laker Schools, and 442 had other responses, such as not wanting to be called, not having an opinion on the matter or not wanting either name. There were 1,416 people in the district who could not be reached because a phone number could not be located, and 1,283 people did not answer the phone. Students attempted to call people more than once if they could not be reached the first time.

Eichler noted that the committee looked at a petition that people signed who wanted the name switched back to Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port. He said 299 names on that petition were people who could not be reached by telephone, and Eichler said that number could be added to the 1,216. The petition had been circulated before the telephone survey.

"The committee struggled (with the decision)," Eichler said. "There was a good number both ways. Based on what we see, we've decided the district name should be Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker Schools. The team name will still be Lakers."

Before the board voted on the recommendation, board member Yvonne Bushey said she thought it would be best if the board held off on making the decision until more research was done.

"We should look at trends and talk to education professionals," she said. "We should go another step in the search of the right way to go."

She said in the past, education professionals have told the board that they believe it's best if the district keep the Laker name rather than going back to having the three towns represented.

"My feeling is let's compromise and move on," Eichler said.

New board member Warren Krohn, who was sworn into his position at the beginning of the meeting, pointed out that a majority of the people surveyed via telephone voted to go back to Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port.

"The majority rules in my view, so let's go with it," he said.

Mike LePage, who led the effort in trying to get the district name changed back to reflect the three towns, said he supported the committee's recommendation.

"I think Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port needs to be represented," he said. "(The new district name) brings everyone together and is the right thing to do."

The recommendation passed 5-2, with Bushey and board member Jackie Schulz voting no.

After the vote, many of the audience members applauded the decision.

Superintendent John Raab said the cost to change the names on the district's 14 busses will be about $5,000. Bank statements also will need to be changed, and various organizations and associations, such as the Michigan Department of Education, will need to be notified.

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The community group that wanted the name to be changed back to Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port previously offered to pay for the cost to change the name, but Raab said the board would need to further discuss it. If paid for by the district, the funds would come out of the general fund.

As previously approved by the board, the name issue was going to be put on the June 2003 election ballot, but the district's attorney advised the district not to put such an issue on the ballot.